WELL-DESERVED DISGRACE 43-^
perfect liberty to assassinate me if you wish,' I said, cbut I
cannot leave Madrid until it suits my convenience to do so/
I put an ordinary seal on the letter, and made Philif
direct it. I then sent it by the royal post, so that Manucci^
not knowing who it was from, would be certain to open it
It remained unanswered.
Three days later I went to pay a visit to Prince de la
Catolica. Directly my carriage stopped at the door, the
porter came out and told me politely that his excellency had
certain reasons for begging me not to present myself at his
house again.
At the Abbe Bigliardi's, a lackey, after taking my name,
returned to say his master was out. The next day the
Marquis de Grimaldi refused me an audience. The Duke
of Lossada received me, but warned me that he had been
advised not to do so again. Wherever I went it was the
same story. Manucci was showing oft his power and influ-
ence. I wondered if he had forgotten Don Emmanuel de
Ricla and the Count de las Moras. No. There remained
the Count d'Aranda. He made an appointment with me,
I was cold with fear. I found him alone, very calm and
quiet. It gave me heart. He told me to sit down.
cWhat have you done to your minister? * he said.
cMy lord, nothing except indirectly, but by a most incon-
ceivable indiscretion, I have injured his friend Manucci, tht.
man with whom he is all-powerful and wTho is all-powerful
here, who has set him on to me!'
cYou have acted wrongly, but done is done. Now, I have
no power to send you out of the kingdom, since you have
infringed none of its laws, and so I told your minister. Bin
I have promised, in your name, that you will hold you?'
tongue about him in speaking to any Venetian subjects oi
your acquaintance now in Madrid. This, it seems to me, )
can fairly ask you to promise to do/
I promised.
*Then you can stay in Madrid. Mocenigo goes
week!5